Cloud 9

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

This dynamic new entertainment facility, part of the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) master plan, offers a range of activities for Saudi teens and pre-teens, who faced a lack of options for safely socializing, being active and having fun. Designers created a new building typology that would accommodate both physical activities and IT interactivity. Organized into three categories — activity, knowledge and community — Cloud 9 comprises a series of plazas at varying levels, connected by a circulation system that resembles the video-game-playing experience. Wrapping around the building’s perimeter, the journey includes interstitial spaces between the plazas, unexpected visual connections and a sense of discovery.